Brooklyn Nets: The team’s optimal crunch-time lineup
With the highest usage bench in the NBA, the Brooklyn Nets have a lot of players step on the court every game. What is the team’s best crunch-time lineup?
In the 2018-19 season, the Brooklyn Nets used 18 different starting lineups, and the below chart reflects the five most frequently used.
Which of these, if any, is the team’s best crunch-time lineup?
One of NBA.com’s useful statistical tools evaluates the performance of two, three, four and five-man lineup combinations based on “net rating.” Net rating measures a team’s point differential per 100 possessions and also does this for specific lineup combinations.
To really get a sense of which players contribute the most, it makes sense to look at Brooklyn’s best three-man lineups. Whereas a mediocre player could show up on a high-performing five-man lineup (others players make up for mediocre play), this is less of an issue when looking at groups of three players.
The Brooklyn Nets had 32 three-man lineup combinations in 2018-19 that played more than 300 minutes together. The below chart illustrates the top 10 in terms of net rating (from best to worst).
Net Rating
What stands out? The 32-year-old DeMarre Carroll, a free agent this summer, showed up in each of the top six lineups. Carroll’s versatility on both ends of the floor seems to have been quite valuable, stretching the floor on one end and providing solid defense on the other.
Another free agent in the underrated Ed Davis appeared in three of the top four. In Davis’ case, his rebounding and defensive presence clearly made an impact. The team’s offensive force in D’Angelo Russell, was present in the top two, unsurprisingly.
Looking at the most successful offensive and defensive lineups provides additional insight. Below are the top 10 three-man lineups in terms of offensive net rating.
Offensive Net Rating
What stands out here? Sharpshooter Joe Harris appeared in four of the top five offensive lineups. His 47.4 percent 3-point shooting likely played a big role in this.
In a fairly surprising finding, Treveon Graham was part of the top three offensive lineups. He likely benefited from the other members of the trios being strong offensively, but being in each of the top three must have some significance.
Graham is regarded as a solid defender, but his 5.3 points per game and 29.7 percent 3-point shooting make it harder to explain positive contributions on the offensive end. One potential explanation could be his 7.8 turnover percentage, the lowest of any Nets rotation player in 2018-19.
The next chart illustrates the top three-man lineups in terms of defensive net rating.
Defensive Net Rating
What stands out here? DeMarre Carroll showed up in five of the top six defensive trios, reinforcing the perception that he is a solid defender. Ed Davis was part of three of the top five, and D’Angelo Russell, who is known more for his offensive abilities, appeared in three of the top four. Spencer Dinwiddie was in two of the top four.
Conclusion
So taking all this information into account, what is Brooklyn’s best lineup it can have on the court in crunch-time? There’s an argument to be made that Dinwiddie is one of the five best players, but he is probably best suited to his sixth man role. He performed well in this position, and the lineup stats don’t reflect positively enough on him to elevate to the top five.
Carroll’s presence in each of the top six lineups is quite impressive, and he deserves a spot as a result. Not only is Russell probably the team’s best player, he performed well in the lineup data no matter how one looks at it; he clearly deserves a place as well. Joe Harris’s 47.4 percent 3-point shooting in itself could be enough to earn him a spot in the top five. To back this up, the net rating lineup data looked at him favorably.
In terms of a big-man presence, Jarrett Allen received the most minutes last season, but the lineup data suggests Ed Davis deserves a place in the top five. If the Nets re-sign Davis, they shouldn’t necessarily throw him into the starting lineup over Allen, but in the closing minutes of a close game, it might be better to have Davis on the floor.
Next. Post-combine 2019 NBA Mock Draft. dark
With Russell, Carroll, Harris and Davis all part of the “Fab Five,” that leaves one spot remaining. Caris LeVert, Rodions Kurucs, Allen Crabbe, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Treveon Graham are all potential options. Although it’s a close call, LeVert showed a lot of positive signs when healthy last season and would be valuable to have on the court late in games. Russell, Carroll, Harris, Davis and LeVert is the optimal crunch-time lineup.